Why a Referral Isn’t Always Reassurance

Why trust comes from time, not recommendations

One of the questions I am asked most often, especially when someone realises my reservation list is full, or the timing does not match their plans, is this: “Do you know another breeder you’d recommend?”

It sounds like the simplest question in the world. Yet, in truth, it is one of the hardest for me to answer honestly.

A recommendation suggests I am endorsing someone’s ethics, their pairings, how they rear their puppies and the real standards behind their programme. Unless I have seen those things with my own eyes (and why would I have?), I cannot stand behind them. And lovely adverts, warm phone calls and tidy living rooms rarely tell the full story. Breeding is defined by what happens when nobody is watching.

I also have to be realistic about my own experience. When I look back at the last Bulldog I added to my pack from outside my bloodline, it was Gigi, whom I imported from Norway because nothing in the UK fulfilled what I needed for the future of my line. Before her, the last one outside LaRoyal was one of our foundation girls in 1998. That should tell you how little I am out there comparing breeders, viewing litters or forming lived opinions about other people’s puppies.

Yes, I'd agree I am more particular than 99% of Bulldog owners, and for good reason. I put real skin in the game for the sake of safeguarding the next generation. That seriousness also means I cannot casually point someone towards a breeder whose ethics or practices I do not truly know.

And, as you will have heard me say many times, the benchmark for breeding standards in this country is far too low to take anyone’s word at face value.

So my only genuine recommendation is this.
Don't ​buy fast.

The longer your relationship with a breeder, the more confident you can be in the puppy you will eventually bring home. Months, even years of conversation and observation tell you infinitely more than a single advert or a promising phone call. Trust grows slowly, and it is worth the wait.

This is exactly why I created the STAR Puppy Plan. So many people end up misled by presentation, when the reality underneath can be very different. The STAR framework helps you assess a breeder’s values, their standards, their ethics and their puppy-rearing practices in a way that does not rely on someone else’s referral.

If you want to begin your Bulldog search empowered, informed and confident, you can listen to the STAR Puppy Plan learning audio for free.

LISTEN TO START PLAN AUDIO

I may not be able to recommend another breeder, but I can help you recognise a responsible one, and that is far more valuable.